6 Pitfalls DevOps Should Avoid When Migrating to Cloud
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Loading... - Diego Blanco
- 03 Aug 2022
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Cloud computing is changing the way we work and do business. The cloud offers a reality where physical and virtual resources can be gathered, put to work, and returned within seconds. Effectively, it provides businesses instant access to robust infrastructure from anywhere with network connectivity.
For most organizations today, the question isn’t so much will they migrate to the cloud, but when. Of course, many will attempt to hold onto on-premises infrastructure and legacy systems for as long as possible. The reality is that you should already be adopting cloud technologies for at least some of your business processes.
What Are the Main Benefits of Migrating to the Cloud?
Cloud computing services offer many features and benefits for organizations, far too many to cover in this article.
Here are some of the main benefits of cloud migration.
Optimized Costs
Cloud solutions are services. This means you pay for them as a monthly or annual subscription. Barring hybrid and private cloud implementations, they can alleviate the need for businesses to purchase and maintain IT equipment and reduce the overall infrastructure footprint.
You can share resources with the cloud. You only use the resources temporarily and then return them when not needed. Because of this, most providers only charge you for what you use—every penny you spend has a purpose.
Flexibility
Cloud-based applications offer ultimate flexibility for remote and hybrid workers as well. It is becoming important, as a recent Gallup poll found that 67% of white-collar employees were at least partially working from home.
When you migrate to cloud services, you also give admin and leadership the ability to change things on the fly. Many cloud-based systems can connect to other tools with native and third-party API integrations for easy data sharing and rapid process velocities.
Scalability
Legacy systems require physical hardware, user licenses, and other things. With a cloud platform, administrators can add and remove users with just a few clicks. For example, a cloud-based small business phone service could add another line in minutes. The next bill will include all additional user fees. Extra features and capabilities can also be added if and when necessary to scale with growth.
Enhanced Security and Compliance
Cloud providers must meet very high standards for data protection and security compliance. It means that even small teams can have instant access to enterprise-grade security simply by migrating to a cloud-based tool.
Disaster Proof
When a business migrates to the cloud, it can rest easy regarding emergency preparedness. Cloud vendors will have a host of redundant data centers spanning the globe. The cloud architecture allows for continuous and automatic backups of all your data.
Should disaster strike—computer failure, a virus, an office fire—have no fear. Once you sign onto a service, all your data will restore with merely a click or two.
Centralization
Migrating to the cloud helps businesses connect all important data in one place. From customizable dashboards’ management can monitor, track, and adjust business processes in a central hub.
Save Time and Money Through Automation
Many cloud technologies are backed by powerful AI and machine learning. Cloud migration offers a fast and effective way for businesses to tap into these rich resources. Automation can help to eliminate time-wasting, but also enhance productivity. For example, an enterprise VoIP provider may include AI-powered virtual assistants that can deflect calls from your support team.
6 Common Cloud Migration Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Not Using the Best Partners and Team Members
Regardless of which model and cloud providers you decide on, every merchant will insist that migrating will simplify nearly everything for your business. These companies aren’t being disingenuous. But the picture the paint lies in is somewhere in the future. It requires a lot of effort and resources first.
Where many organizations fail is that they assume that migration will be a cinch or at least routine. They opt to do everything in-house without stopping to ask whether they have employees with the right skillset. Or they may push the project onto less experienced and junior team members.
In these cases, under-qualified teams are too far in over their heads before realizing the situation. You can avoid this by auditing the skills and knowledge of your DevOps and IT departments. When necessary, bring in the best consulting partners or sign up for digital libraries like the IEEE Computer Society to keep your team up-to-date.
Find services that offer tech knowledge and change management capabilities; pair them with your most valuable team members. You may spend a bit more on cloud migration, but you will save money, time, and frustration in the long run.
2. Runaway Costs
One of the beautiful features of working in the cloud is its efficient cost. Most standard packages run on pay-as-you-go. You only pay for the bandwidth, modules, containers, virtual machines, and other services you use. It sounds great because it helps you avoid paying for unused resources.
When migrating the bulk of your business systems, these costs can get out of hand rather quickly. It happens because many departments and stakeholders get on board. With so much to do, these departments will each own their cloud migration and onboarding.
While good for getting things done quickly, this autonomy can lead to siloing of all cloud adoption. Most organizations will have to run their due diligence on all the fine print before signing a contract. Unfortunately, many will fail to account for and understand what visibility measures are available for service usage.
A report in 2020 found that businesses waste 30% of their cloud computing spending. You avoid this massive waste of resources and inevitable sticker shock. It starts with your organization putting a data strategy in place.
A migration roadmap should depict how each department will adopt and use the new services and must be informed by every team leader. When in effect, the guide will help you more accurately forecast cloud spending and monitor it for red flags. This centralized system will allow your team to eliminate inefficiencies and duplication of workloads. Read More...
